1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a locking shipping wedge for use with a single use loading unit (“SULU”) of a surgical instrument. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a locking shipping wedge that immobilizes a drive assembly of a surgical instrument and a locking mechanism to prevent removal of the locking shipping wedge.
2. Background of Related Art
Various surgical procedures are performed with surgical instruments having disposable or replaceable loading units, e.g., SULU's. These loading units generally include a movable part or parts positioned to engage a drive member of a surgical instrument. If the moving part is not properly retained in position prior to and during attachment of the loading unit to a surgical instrument, the loading unit may not properly engage the surgical instrument and, thus, may not function properly. Some surgical instruments are provided with automatic locking systems which block movement of the components of the tool assembly prior to attachment to a surgical instrument and allow for free movement of the movable parts of the tool assembly once the loading unit has been properly positioned on the surgical instrument.
It would be desirable to provide a locking shipping device for a loading unit which prevents movement of the internal parts of the loading unit prior to attachment of the loading unit to a surgical instrument. It would also be desirable to provide a mechanism to prevent manual removal of the locking shipping device from the loading unit until the loading unit has been attached to the surgical instrument to prevent misalignment of the components of the loading unit with the surgical instrument.